Not Ideological Solidarity but Critical Revolutionary Solidarity: A Personal Reflection of
Yogyakarta/Indonesia Anarchist Black Cross (Palang Hitam) ---- Knowledge chooses its
project, each project is new and chooses its moments, each moment is new, but
simultaneously emerges from the memory of all the moments that existed before ---- The
Interior of the Absolute ---- It is fair to say that the Black Cross were initiated after
the May Day event in Yogyakarta 2018, a demonstration/blockades that ended up in a riot
between the so-called "local people" and the demonstrators (many, even the so-called
Student Organization involved in the organizing blamed the Black Clad anarchists for
igniting the riot and provoked property destruction, and to their surprised the graffiti
that call to "Kill the Sultan", until now there have been no one claimed this). Therefore,
even Palang Hitam now are progressing their activities to other places and helping other
revolutionaries who are facing the same legal consequences or just being in the grassroots
conflict to provide medical aid, its "over-lapping" solidarity still meant that Palang
Hitam were originated, initiated, and activated by the comrades who are "on the list" (of
the powers that be) and those who are completely not on the list but decided to actively
participated. So, in order to specified the location of these comrades, mainly central
java, it is fair to say that Palang Hitam is Palang Hitam Yogyakarta or Central Java.

What being said in this short critical reflection are based on specific geographical and
historical understanding of the anarchist movement or the revolutionary movement of
individuals against state and capitalism in Indonesia. There's no need to say about the
contrast between our geographical location and our comrades in the west and those who are
also in the global south, especially considering prison solidarity in its historic sense.
Indonesia, have plenty of oral history about prison rebellion and rebellious individuals,
but these were almost never written, these were almost like mythopoesis among criminals
for generation and some even become so legendary that it always inspired rebellion each
time there's a prisoner get beaten very severely or until they die. It is obvious there's
almost no official history of them because, who want to write about these violent,
lawless, and cool individuals? Even the so-called radical academics tend to avoid this
subject.

While in Spain we know histories such as GRAPO and their resistance and individuals such
as Xose Tarrio Gonzales, we surely have the latter but the former, such as a coordinated
organization inside prison and outside, was never really a history here. Or in Greece,
where the CCF and other organization such as ex of 17N and Revolutionary Struggle have
been doing their part in making escapes, rebellion, and even a plot to destroy the prison
completely to free their comrades.

In Indonesia (although it is better just to focus it in Java, because there are different
dynamics such as in West Papua or other parts of archipelagos regarding solidarity
action), what the populist-leftist movement inherited to us after the fall of New Order
regime, were just bitter pills of every revolutionary students each time they got arrested
and most of these leftist organization abandoned these individuals. Though it is not
better for the anarchist movement either regarding this situation, such as in 2011 where
two anarchists were arrested and the "movement" silenced themselves, deciding that the
action that was carried out (arson against ATM bank) were counter-productive to their
public organizing. What legacy did this populist leftist or the anarchist movement give to
the younger ones regarding prisoner solidarity? An endless stupidity of not knowing how
the legal system work, how advocacy work, and why you should not be afraid of being
arrested (there were cases where self-labeled anarchists went into hiding even though the
charges or the case were very specific that it is impossible for them to be arrested) or
why you should go underground, and why you the imprisoned comrades should not afraid of
making open letter to the comrades in national and international. These are the homework
for Palang Hitam and all another revolutionary movement that seek to destroy capitalism
and state using whatever strategy they see fit, that is to understand how the legal system
works and how to get around it to ease or makes our imprisoned comrades more confident in
their convictions. It also includes the choice that they wanted to make, because it is
their choice, not the people/organization/movement have the rights to dictates it to them.
Thus, the "unconsciousness" of the wanna-be insurgent wherever they understand the legal
consequences of their action. And note this: no movement who are seeking to overthrow the
capitalist system seriously are safe from the state backlash. The state is not neutral,
police and investigators are not going to save you from their web of law, because they are
a mere server or the attack dogs of the rulers and capitalists.

Don't expect something less, expect and anticipate more repression when you already attack
them. Remember, you're not fighting bullies, you're fighting a thousand years of an
advanced civilization that managed and developed the techniques to control and pacify you
each time they consider yourself or your movement a threat.

Critical Solidarity

Why, after the M1 in Yogyakarta, only Brian Valentino (Ucil) who got the most attention
than others? Are Palang Hitam were too ideological that they don't care other variants of
comrades who are also arrested? Of course, that's not the case. It is reported that only
Ucil that really stem from "anarchist" milieu although he prefers in not using any
adjectives. I am not saying that there are no anarchists other than Ucil but the only
individuals who were advocated and communicated with Palang Hitam were only Ucil, while
others (including those fucktards student brokers) prefer to compromise and tell on
others. While I can't generalize all of the imprisoned comrades, but there are also
comrades who don't cooperate but close themselves from Palang Hitam. The focus on Ucil
mere because of he was from a very far island, Manado, North Sulawesi. He was very active
in the action and his calm character facing repression while refusing to tell any names
during the interrogation was also the consideration.

Some weeks ago I received a letter concerning the action, an old friend but we have chosen
a different path, he said he has the chance to talk to some of the people who were
arrested for a day during the blockade, he said it caused a climate of paranoia. He also
advised me to talk to these people, whom I know but I don't really associated and have
different methods even in the form of ideas. The black-clad called themselves for M1 the
"Committee", which is a very loose association of anarchists and other tendencies, quite
strict but also flexible. These individuals on the Committee (supposed!) to understand the
backlash of doing such action: Blockades and confrontation (which doesn't really happened
because the police were spread in many areas and were confused about our action, well
until 3-4 hours later until they besieged us). Other leftists, NGO's, trade unionists,
artists and liberals parading on a very different place, they go to the governors building
doing the usual ritual of begging to the power that is. These individuals were the ones
who choose to go to our street blockades (which is around 5 or more km) because it was
louder, some of them even bring a drum to fuel to the riot. Some comrades who knew them
communicated about escape route when something happened and of course not all of the
comrades have the responsibility to talk to these people, especially I personally know
most of them, because most of them were there just for the spectacle! How brave these
liberals were, people whom I know personally always reject violent tactics or even their
POV towards state and capitalism. So why fuckin' bother? There's Ngo's, liberal hipsters,
and the tropical leftists! I was asking to myself, "What the fuck they were doing here!??"
Because I coordinated with others who in charge of guarding perimeters in case we were
going besieged then we have to go to the escape route. Most of the black-clads knew these,
Ucil's were just unfortunate, he fainted because his head was hit by a rock.

So now, I have to communicate, according to this white friend of mine, to those people who
were so recklessly coming to our blockades in the time where we were going to retreat?
First of all, I don't think I have to explain these action to liberals or the leftists.
They know that the kids were being confrontative and we were blockading the most strategic
route to the airport for hours, what do they expect? And now they said they feel
traumatized. Well, personally, since I know these people, I don't buy their trauma. First,
they only get arrested just for a night, many even only for hours and then released.
Second, why do I have to feel obliged to explain our action to these potential snitches?
This is no bravado nor macho posturing because the women that involved in the black-clad
were not arrested, I salute their bravery and trauma? No, although we were worried for our
arrested comrades, we still can laugh our ass off. Some of them went to the escape route
and found themselves assisted by the local villagers who asked them did they won? As the
villagers give them water and show a safe place to escape. Unlike the youtube video, these
villagers located near the university are also threatened to be evicted. There's no trauma
in us, our trauma is just not doing it better and to secure our own comrades. So to my
white friend, it's not me or other responsibility in order to "cure" their trauma, it's
them that have to ask themselves the choices that they've made that day.

These writings were far from comprehensive or maybe it is just a sort of personal defense.
I know that we are lacking in Security Culture, something that was already spread a decade
ago to various collectives. But what good is Security Culture when it is not actual nor it
is very detached from the actual. Or there are no actions because everyone is just too
scared to the point of hesitating in doing anything. Of course, there's this guide from
Crimethinc Collective which of course a very good and informative one:

It's easy, a western revolutionary manual for revolutionaries around the globe. Yeah
right. While its a worthy of our attention to learning it and also from various resources
concerning Security Culture, militant action, and legal aid for our imprisoned comrades,
it is just too lazy for us if we can only copy-paste everything from the west. We have to
learn it also from our past and present experiences, from our actual struggle, to know
ourselves better and our comrades. To keep each other safe and be more joyfully rebellious
and dangerous together!

No Revolutionary Solidarity to Snitches. I don't care for every leftists and liberal who
were very disappointed on why oh why only one of the Black-Clad were arrested!